Most people snack on peanuts without giving much thought to where they come from.
Many assume they grow on trees, like walnuts or almonds, but in reality, peanuts grow underground — a fact that has surprised many on social media.
A Botanical Oddity: How Peanuts Grow
Unlike tree nuts, the peanut plant (Arachis hypogaea) follows a unique growth process.
Its yellow flowers bloom above ground, but after pollination, the petals fall off, and a structure called the "peg" begins to grow downward into the soil. It is beneath the ground that the peanuts develop and mature, a process that takes about four to five months before harvesting.
A recent Reddit discussion on things people had only recently learned sparked surprise about the true origin of peanuts, with many admitting they had never realized they grew underground.
According to Mirror, this revelation left many users amazed.
According to the National Peanut Board, peanut seeds are typically planted in April or May, once the risk of frost has passed. Within ten days, seedlings sprout from the soil, and the plant grows to about 45 centimeters (18 inches) in height.
Once pollination occurs, the fruit begins its descent into the soil, where the peanuts fully develop — a process that is unlike any other nut or legume.
Peanuts: More Like Beans Than Nuts
Another surprising fact? Peanuts are not actually nuts.
While often grouped with tree nuts, peanuts belong to the legume family, making them closer relatives to peas and beans than to walnuts or hazelnuts.
So, the next time you grab a handful of peanuts, you’ll have an interesting fact to share — they grow underground, and they’re not even nuts!
